The developments in physics during this century have had a greater and deeper impact on science and technology than during any period since the reawakening of this science in the seventeenth century. This explosion of understanding has left us with even more fundamental issues to resolve and fascinating technologies to implement. The faculty, researchers, and students of the Department of Physics at the University of California, Irvine are working at the forefront of most activities of modern physics and astronomy. A more detailed description of interests is provided in this brochure.
The faculty and senior researchers have acquired an international reputation for their scientific accomplishments; much of this reputation has been earned through the conscientious training of excellent graduate students. Physics is one of many excellent departments on this campus.
UCI is located in an area with many high technology companies: Cultural and artistic events are available on and off campus, and the pleasant surroundings and proximity of the ocean, desert, and mountains, with uniformly excellent weather, offer many opportunities for outdoor activities.
We invite you to join us in pursuing the intellectual challenges of learning and research in physics and astronomy and urge you to apply for admission to graduate studies in our department.
Jon Lawrence Chair
The Department of Physics in the School of Physical Sciences at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), has 38 faculty members, an approximately equal number of research physicists, and from five to ten visiting scientists each year. There are approximately 90 graduate students in the Ph.D. program.
Each faculty member is actively engaged in forefront research and creative activity in physics, as well as in graduate and undergraduate teaching. There are four major areas of research emphasis: plasma physics, astrophysics, condensed matter physics, and particle physics. Additional areas of study include low-temperature physics, gravitation, and relativity.
The Department offers graduate study primarily leading to the Ph.D. degree in Physics, although the Admissions Committee occasionally accepts a master's degree applicant. Prerequisites for admission include successful completion of an undergraduate major in physics with at least a B average (3.0 on a 4.0 scale). Beyond general physics and calculus, applicants should have completed one year of advanced mathematics; two years of classical physics including mechanics, electromagnetic theory, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics; one year of modern physics including quantum mechanics and atomic physics; and advanced laboratory work. Students with an incomplete undergraduate education in physics may be admitted with the condition that undergraduate deficiencies be made up during the first year.
Applications should be completed by January 15 to receive full consideration for fellowship and assistantship awards. Applications received after March 1, but no later than June 1, will be considered for fall quarter admission if there is space available. Students ordinarily are not admitted for the winter or spring quarters. Each applicant must complete the application form and submit two official copies of all post-secondary academic transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Aptitude Test and Advanced Test in Physics directly to the Department of Physics. All applicants whose primary language is not English are required to submit results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In addition, all applicants whose primary language is not English and who wish to be considered for a first-year teaching assistantship appointment must submit results of the Test of Spoken English (TSE). A minimum score of 220 on the TSE is required in order for an assistantship offer to be made.
Formal notice of the admission decision is sent to each applicant by the Chair of the Department's Admissions Committee as soon as possible after the application and complete records are received.
For information regarding the graduate program in physics and an application for admission, contact:
Graduate Admissions Department of Physics University of California Irvine, CA 92717-4575 Telephone: (714) 824-5438
A typical full-time graduate student requires six years of study to earn the Ph.D. degree. Most students concentrate on course work during their first two years and then begin their dissertation research, although the procedure is not rigidly defined. Experience in teaching is an integral part of the graduate program, and all graduate students are required to participate in the teaching program for at least three quarters during their graduate careers.
The course requirements for the Ph.D. degree are met by completion of a nine-course basic sequence in mathematical physics, classical mechanics and electromagnetic theory, quantum mechanics, relativistic quantum mechanics, and statistical mechanics, plus six graduate courses beyond the basic sequence. Completion of the Seminar in Conceptual Physics, which develops the student's ability to confront questions and present ideas verbally, is required each spring quarter until the Ph.D. qualifying examination is passed. There is no foreign language requirement.
In the first year, students usually take a three-quarter sequence in both quantum mechanics and mathematical physics as well as one quarter of classical mechanics and two quarters of electricity and magnetism.
During the second year, students take one quarter of statistical mechanics and begin the course sequence directed toward the special field of interest in which they will pursue dissertation research.
In the third year, students often take specialized courses which acquaint them with the literature and methods employed in particular areas of physics, while primarily undertaking dissertation research.
Advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D.. degree occurs upon successful completion of the Ph.D. qualifying examination, which consists of a written section and two oral sections. The written section and the first oral section are taken at the beginning of the second year of graduate study and cover all of the first-year graduate physics curriculum. The examination may be repeated once the following year if appropriate. Successful completion of the qualifying examination at the Master's level is required for advancement to candidacy for the M.S. degree. The second section of the oral exam (known as the University Oral) occurs approximately one year later and covers the candidate's proposed dissertation research area.
Students begin their dissertation research upon passing the first part of the qualifying examination. Students work under the direct supervision of one faculty member, yet in association with a larger group of faculty, research scientists, and students who share similar interests and are engaged in research related to the student's dissertation area. Completion of the dissertation typically takes three to four years after completion of the course work requirements.
It should be emphasized that many students choose to proceed in a manner rather different from that described above. To increase flexibility, the Department attempts to keep the number of requirements and prescribed procedures to a minimum. Many students prefer to become engaged in research sooner than the end of their second year. The total number of courses taken may vary considerably from student to student.
Graduate courses offered by the Department are listed below. Course descriptions, as well as additional information about M.S. and Ph.D. degree requirements, are included in the UCI General Catalogue.
211 Classical Mechanics 212A-B-C Mathematical Physics 213A-B Electromagnetic Theory 213C Modern Optics 214A-B Statistical Physics 214C-D Many Body Theory 215A-B-C Quantum Mechanics 221 Elasticity 222 Hydrodynamics 231A,B,C Special Topics in Computational Physics 232A-B Application of Group Theory 235A-B Advanced Quantum Mechanics 236A-B-C Astrophysics 237A-B-C Elementary Particle Theory 238A-B-C Condensed Matter Physics 239A-B-C-D Plasma Physics 245A,B,C Special Topics in Theoretical Physics 246A-B-C Special Topics in Astrophysics 247A-B-C Special Topics in High-Energy Physics 248A-B-C Special Topics in Condensed Matter Physics 249A-B-C Special Topics in Plasma Physics 255 General Relativity 260A-B-C Seminar in Condensed Matter Physics 261A-B-C Seminar in Plasma Physics 263A-B-C Seminar in High-Energy Physics 264 Seminar in Conceptual Physics 265A-B-C Seminar in Astrophysics 267A-B-C Current Problems in High-Energy Physics 295 Experimental Research 296 Theoretical Research 298 Physics Colloquium 299 Reading of Special Topic 399 University Teaching
The Department has an active schedule of weekly colloquia featuring distinguished speakers from throughout the country, as well as specialized weekly seminars in all major areas of physics. In addition, frequent conferences on special topics in physics featuring physicists from the international community are organized by the various research groups in the Department. Weekly informal seminars are held to acquaint first-year students with the research opportunities available in the Department.
Departmental and Computing Facilities
The Department of Physics is housed in the five-story Physical Sciences II building, as are large research efforts in plasma physics and elementary particle experiments. In addition, experiments in condensed matter physics, gravitation, and laser science are housed in the adjacent Physical Sciences I building.
Researchers and students have access to the special instrumentation and computer resources necessary for the varied research interests of the faculty. In addition, the Department is well-served by fully equipped electronics, machine, and glass shops. The campus Computing Facility provides a Convex C240 mini-supercomputer as well as other networked UNIX and VMS multiprocessor systems. Extensive software libraries for graphics, numerical modeling, text processing, and computer-aided design are readily available. There is access to Cray supercomputers at the University's Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratories, to the Supercomputer Center at the University's San Diego campus, and to computers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado. All campus computer systems are fully networked and provide easy access to Internet and Bitnet. Physics graduate students may obtain computer accounts on the campus systems through the Office of Academic Computing.
The 1.5 million-volume UCI Library houses a collection which includes almost 17,500 currently active serial subscriptions. It is a component of the extensive University of California Library system, whose libraries contain more than 23 million volumes. Through the UCI Library, students can obtain books from not only the UC Library system but from library systems throughout the world. There also is daily shuttle service from the main UCI Library to the libraries at the University's Los Angeles campus.
The new UCI Science Library, a five-story building which houses the Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Biomedical Libraries, opened in 1994.
Financial assistance to graduate students is available in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Continuing physics graduate students whose academic work is satisfactory ordinarily will be supported by a fellowship, an assistantship, or a combination of the two. Applicants interested in an assistantship or fellowships should so indicate when applying for admission.
Teaching assistantships carry a stipend of approximately $12,000 for three quarters of the regular academic year (nine months); the normal instructional assignment requires up to 20 hours per week. Nine-month research assistantships carry a salary of approximately $10,000 and a similar work load. Teaching and research appointments for the summer months also are available.
Regents' and Chancellor's Fellowships are awarded to a number of promising students entering UCI for study leading to the Ph.D. degree. The Regents' Fellowship includes all required student fees, and, if applicable, non-resident tuition for the nine-month academic year. The Chancellor's Fellowship includes a substantial stipend, all required student fees, nonresident tuition, if applicable, and guaranteed on-campus housing.
All fellowships and assistantships are awarded in accordance with the affirmative action policies of the University. As part of the Graduate and Professional Opportunity Program, the Office of Research and Graduate Studies also administers a number of fellowships and assistantships which are awarded to entering and continuing graduate students from groups including targeted minorities and women in certain fields who traditionally have been underrepresented in higher education in the United States. Awards are made on the basis of need and academic promise. For more information, contact the Office of Research and Graduate Studies at (714) 824-5879.
UCI maintains on-campus apartments for graduate students at Verano Place and Palo Verde, both a short walk from Physical Sciences II. Each apartment has carpets, drapes, a stove, and a refrigerator. Recreational facilities, children's play areas, day care facilities, and a preschool are located in Verano Place. Because there is a great demand for on-campus housing and for day care, applications should be submitted a year in advance. Additional on-campus housing is available to graduate students in single rooms in a residence hall setting. UCI also maintains a full-service recreational vehicle park on campus. Students interested in on-campus housing should contact the Housing Office at (714) 824-6811. The Off-Campus Student Services Office, (714) 824-7247, can assist students in locating and obtaining housing in the nearby communities. Rents are comparable to those in many other urban areas. Nearby inland communities include Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, and Tustin; coastal communities include Newport Beach, Balboa Island, Laguna Beach, and Corona del Mar.
At UCI, instruction and research in fundamental areas of knowledge as well as professional studies are organized into the Schools of Biological Sciences, Engineering, Fine Arts, Humanities, Physical Sciences, Social Ecology, and Social Sciences; the Department of Information and Computer Sciences; the Graduate School of Management; the Department of Education; Interdisciplinary Programs; and the College of Medicine.
As of fall 1992, approximately 17,000 student were enrolled at UCI, including more than 2,000 graduate and professional students. The faculty numbers about 900. As a major research university, UCI offers excellent opportunities for graduate students in more than 50 programs, including several interdisciplinary programs unique to the campus.
UCI is the youngest of the nine University of California campuses, having opened in 1965. It was founded with the philosophy that it should provide first-rate academic programs in its major areas of concentration, and many outstanding, established scholars were recruited to the faculty to achieve this goal. Steady growth in the size and quality of the campus has continued during the past 28 years, and many programs already have achieved national recognition. UCI is among the top 65 research institutions in the country.
The Irvine campus includes the 1,489-acre main campus, where buildings encircle a central park with trees and shrubs from all over the world; the 202-acre San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve, a waterfowl and wildlife sanctuary and arboretum; and the 33-acre UCI Medical Center in the City of Orange, approximately 13 miles from the main campus.
Situated 40 miles south of Los Angeles and five miles from the Pacific Ocean and the City of Newport Beach, UCI's location offers both the cultural and economic resources of a major urban area and access to the diverse recreational areas of Southern California. Though the campus park and surrounding hills create a relaxed atmosphere, the campus is situated in a rapidly growing area of high technological development. Approximately two million people live within a 20-mile radius of the campus.
Local cultural opportunities include repertory theaters, orchestras, choral groups, dance companies, galleries, and museums which provide ample opportunity for viewing, listening and participation. Many fine attractions also are offered in Los Angeles and San Diego, each about an hour's drive from UCI. In addition, UCI itself has much to offer in cultural enrichment. Performance-oriented programs in theater, arts, and music offer first-class events throughout the academic year. The campus sponsors visiting artists, theater and orchestral groups, and world-renowned speakers on current topics. The academic units and research organizations schedule many general- interest sessions along with their specialty seminars.
A broad spectrum of recreational opportunities exists in close proximity to the campus. Excellent scenic beaches and sailing areas are minutes away. Catalina Island is 22 miles offshore. Mountain ranges, ski areas, and vast deserts are within a two-hour drive.
Public transportation serves most housing and shopping areas, and the abundance of bike trails in the surrounding communities encourages bicycle traffic. John Wayne (Orange County) Airport is two miles from campus.
The climate is "Southern Californian," with warm, sunny days and cool sea breezes. The area gets on average a few inches of rain each year. Air quality, for the most part, is good.
For information regarding the graduate program in Physics and an application for admission, contact:
Graduate Admissions Department of Physics University of California Irvine, CA 92717-4575 Telephone: (714) 824-5438 For information regarding graduate admissions, contact: Office of Research and Graduate Studies University of California Irvine, CA 92717-3175 Telephone: (714) 824-6761 For housing information, call: On-Campus Housing Office: (714) 824-6811 Off-Campus Housing Office: (714) 824-7247
The University of California, Irvine, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Section 402 of the Vietnam-Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, and Section 12940 of the State of California Government Code, provides equal opportunity in its admissions, employment, programs, and services regardless of a person's race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, cancer-related medical condition, pregnancy, status as a Vietnam-era or disabled veteran or, within the limits imposed by law or University regulations, because of age or citizenship. The University of California also forbids acts of sexual and racial harassment.
In conformance with University policy and pursuant to Executive Orders 11246 and 11375, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Section 402 of the Vietnam-Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, the University of California is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and implements student, staff, and faculty affirmative action programs.
Inquiries regarding the University's equal opportunity and affirmative action policies may be directed to the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity, 524 Administration Building, University of California, Irvine, CA 92717-1125; telephone (714) 824-5594.